Bridget
Nothing has prepared me for this moment. I've tried over and over again to prep myself, tell myself that none of this is my fault, it's his. You're not enforcing any of this. This is something you are being forced to stand witness to. This is the price you have to pay.
But the truth is I really haven't given up any resistance at all. It's way past school hours and I sit in an elevated chair in my old English class. Under different circumstances, if the place weren't arranged as a courtroom from hell, I might have cried from the sheer relief of being in a familiar environment. The person tethered to the podium is someone I wish I would never have to see again in my whole life.
~*~
David and I met almost halfway through the school year. We shared some classes together, and we'd seen each other around school plenty of times, but the truth is we'd never really spoken. It was around early May this year, when it had really started to warm up. Genoise and Daisy and I met outside after school. I remember the sun shining brightly, not a cloud in the sky, heat warming through the thin cloth of our school uniforms and making us sweat. "It's sweltering." Genoise lifted her blond hair over her shoulder, which was super long at the time. "I could really go for some ice cream right now."
"Me too." I sighed. At least it wasn't as stuffy out on the street as it was in the classroom. We'd been assigned groups for the new Lit project. We all had to make elaborate stands about Shakespeare plays. My group got Hamlet. Genoise shrugged.
"You're buying."
"Why?"
"Because I bought you Burger King. Remember, when we ditched the pep rally?" I groaned. I didn't want to remember that time. I don't know how Genoise can get away with anything and I can't. Somehow Mr. Rumberg saw me leaving the gym, but not her. The first thing I was greeted to when I got home was Dad lecturing me for 2 hours on why I need to participate in school activities because he donated a lot to the parent's committee and so I need to make a good impression and so on and so forth... but I wasn't a leech.
"Ah, fine." Daisy was leaving for the bus.
"You guys can go, but I need to get started on the project right away. I got stuck with Connor and Travis."
"Ah, the bums." Genoise grinned. "Have fun." We waved her off and started off downtown, but now before I caught eyes with someone I'd rather not have. Genoise elbowed me. "Hey, look. It's your admirer." I frowned. He was standing across the street, with his leather jacket that went against the school dress code and his sleek black harley motorcycle that was something almost none of the the teenagers our age could afford in their wildest dreams. His sandy hair tousled in the warm breeze, and his gaze was a tangible thing that felt like it was touching me. There was no mistaking the unholy gleam in his eye as it slid slowly down my body and I felt flushed. Suddenly my knee-high plaid skirt didn't feel like enough. Restraining myself not to run, I quickened my pace down the street, keeping my eyes on the pavement under my feet. "That's Flynn Johnson, right? Looks like he got all dressed up today."
"You think so?"
"He never comes to school otherwise." That was true. Everyone knew Flynn Johnson. He was a senior, and the epitome of the bad boys every pre-pubescent girl on Wattpad dreams of. The only reason I could think of as to why he went to a private Catholic school would be to show off his family's wealth. He never came to school otherwise. But nowadays he seemed to come more and more frequently. Not actually going to his classes, I reckon, but to come and see me. I couldn't understand why, though, for the life of me. I'm not the type to self-deprecate, really I'm not, but I was a plain kind of pretty, I guess. So I doubted if Flynn were so interested in me, it would be anything more than a hit-and-run. Say if I were a guy, if I saw myself and Genoise walking down the street, I'd fall in love with Genoise in a heartbeat. She was a fairytale beauty, tall and slender with a full bra, clear skin and a heart-shaped face. But even when I say things like that she objects immediately. You've got a youthful appeal, she insisted. Your eyes are big and beautiful. And I'd kill for your eyebrows. Maybe, but I would've traded these caterpillars for Genoise's elegant slim ones any day. "He's kind of cute."
"In a ragged sort of way, I guess."
"Are you seriously not even going to talk to him? If it were me, I'd give him a chance." I couldn't stop myself from giving her an aghast stare.
"N-no way!" I stammered. "I can't stand greasy men! With their self-satisfied smirking and swaggering around." She laughed.
"I don't think you can stand men in general, Bridget. You've never had a boyfriend."
"That's not true. Remember I kissed Andrew Scull that one time."
"In the janitor's closet, you mean? That was middle school. I'm pretty sure Andrew Scull's a druggie right now."
"Is he really?"
"What I mean is," She sighed, ignoring me. "I'm talking about a real boyfriend. You've never even done it." I almost tripped as we crossed the street. Done it?
"I promised I wouldn't do it until I'm married!"
"Ha. Prude."
"S-so you've done it?"
"Totally." I could feel heat flooding my brain. An image of Genoise embracing some unnamed casanova crossed my mind, but the lack of personal experience didn't lead to much anyways. I quickly tried to wave it away, but I felt shamefully curious. We found an ice cream truck when I finally asked,
"Was it... good?" She smirks at me in a way that's totally out of place on a Catholic schoolgirl, but says nothing. My face feels so hot that I'm afraid it's going to melt off. If I hadn't needed ice cream minutes ago, I definitely needed it now.
Which was bad because I wouldn't be able to buy it.
The ice truck man waited patiently for us to order, even though I was too flustered to think of what I wanted. "Va-vanilla, please."
"What size?"
"Oh! Uh, small?"
"Cherry jubilee for me, medium." Genoise giggled. I couldn't help but smile sheepishly. She always looked super pretty when she laughed. When I patted my skirt pocket my heart dropped into my stomach. Oh no. I patted the pockets in my backpack, my sweater, the expectant looks of Genoise and the ice truck man making me feel more and more small.
"Uhh, my wallet's... gone."
"Goddamn it, Bridget!" I flinched at the sound of Genoise taking the Lord's name in vain. She'd be in detention if she said that at school. "I didn't bring my wallet with me, either."
"Oh man," I was about ready to profusely apologize to the guy when a near-miracle happened. I turned around because I thought I heard someone saying my name. They were rushing down the street towards me, and I scrunched my eyebrows, worrying it was Flynn Johnson until their features became clear and I recognized them. "Oh! You're.." I recognized David because he ended up being one of the people in my group assignment.
"Yeah, it's me. You dropped your wallet in the classroom." He held it out to me and I took it with both hands. I was sort of weary that I might find it devoid of any more money, but I pushed that out of my head and smiled. He came all the way down here to return it, after all.
"Thank you so much. You're seriously a lifesaver." He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.
"Seriously, it's fine. I just saw you leaving so I thought I'd just give it to you now instead of the next time." Genoise wrung her arm around me.
"Are you kidding? You just saved us from heatstroke!"
"Yeah, you should have some with us." I said that without thinking and he started.
"No, I can't. It's really no big deal." But I was already ordering another plain vanilla for him.
"Nonsense. This ice cream will go to waste if you don't." He seemed to consider it, then smiled at me.
"All right. Sure, why not?"
If I knew what was going to happen next I would have slapped him with that ice cream and ran as far away as I could.
(A/n) Thank you for reading this chapter of RAGE, and also I'd like to hear your guys' opinion on David. What's your impression of him? Now that we're piecing together the events before Bridget's kidnapping, what do you think's going to happen?